Quotes About Politics

The truth is that Machiavelli did try to obtain a position from the Medici, but he did not write The Prince in order to win their favour. 3 He was hoping to be offered a new post in recognition of his unquestionable competence in the 'art of the state' and as a reward for his abilities and impeccable honesty, not as a gift in reward for flattery. As he wrote in the famous letter to Francesco Vettori of 10 December 1513:

It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both

If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared. He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command. One who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived. Politics have no relation to morals

an able statesman out of work, like a huge whale, will endeavour to overturn the ship unless he has an empty cask to play with.

Quod nihil sit tam infirmum aut instaible quam fama potentiae non sua vi nixa.'' ''Hiçbir ÅŸey; kendi gücüne dayanmayan bir iktidar?n ünü kadar zay?f ve deÄŸiÅŸken deÄŸildir.

In politics there are no perfectly safe courses; prudence consists in choosing the least dangerous ones.

Those who strive to obtain the good graces of a prince are accustomed to come before him with such things as they hold most precious, or in which they see him take most delight; whence one often sees horses, arms, cloth of gold, precious stones, and similar ornaments presented to princes, worthy of their greatness.

And he who becomes master of a city accustomed to freedom and does not destroy it, may expect to be destroyed by it, for in rebellion it has always the watchword of liberty and its ancient privileges as a rallying point, which neither time nor benefits will ever cause it to forget.

Ksi??? powinien, skoro ma po temu sposobno??, podsyca? zr?cznie jak?? nieprzyja?? przeciwko sobie, aby sta? si? jeszcze wi?kszym przez jej zgniecenie.

Ksi???ta, szczególnie zaÅ› nowi, znajdowali wiÄ™cej wiernoÅ›ci i wiÄ™cej mieli po?ytku z tych ludzi, których na poczÄ…tku swych rzÄ…dów uwa?ali za podejrzanych

ALL STATES, ALL POWERS, THAT HAVE HELD AND HOLD RULE OVER MEN HAVE been and are either republics or principalities.

Bisognava che Ciro trovassi e' Persi malcontenti dello imperio de' Medi, e li Medi molli et effeminati per la lunga pace.

Quelli li quali per vie virtuose, simili a costoro, diventono principi, acquistono el principato con difficultà, ma con facilità lo tengano;

From this a general rule is drawn which never or rarely fails: that he who is the cause of another becoming powerful is ruined; because that predominancy has been brought about either by astuteness or else by force, and both are distrusted by him who has been raised to power.

Para la tradición moralista un buen príncipe desde el punto de vista político debía cumplir con cuatro virtudes centrales para todo hombre (prudencia, fortaleza, justicia y moderación) más una serie de virtudes específicamente principescas (como honestidad, magnanimidad o liberalidad). Se recomendaba además que la práctica política nunca entrara en conflicto con los principios morales.

Nè creda mai alcuno Stato poter pigliare partiti sicuri; anzi pensi d'avere a prenderli tutti dubbi; perchè si trova questo nell'ordine delle cose, che mai si cerca fuggire uno inconveniente, che non s'incorra in un altro: ma la prudenza consiste in saper cognoscere la qualità degli inconvenienti, e prendere il manco tristo per buono.

For in every city are to be found these two opposed humours having their origin in this, that the people desire not to be domineered over or oppressed by the nobles, while the nobles desire to oppress and domineer over the people.

For since men who are well treated by one whom they expected to treat them ill, feel the more beholden to their benefactor, the people will at once become better disposed to such a Prince when he protects them, than if he owed his Princedom to them.

This is to be asserted in general of men, that they are ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly, covetous, and as long as you succeed they are yours entirely; they will offer you blood, property, life, and children, as is said above, when the need is far distant; but when it approaches they turn against you.

A man who becomes prince with the help of the nobles finds it more difficult to maintain his position than one who does so with the help of the people.

Alexander the Sixth did nothing else but deceive men, nor ever thought of doing otherwise, and he always found victims; for there never was a man who had greater power in asserting, or who with greater oaths would affirm a thing, yet would observe it less.

For these reasons Louis the Twelfth, King of France, quickly occupied Milan, and as quickly lost it; and to turn him out the first time it only needed Lodovico's own forces; because those who had opened the gates to him, finding themselves deceived in their hopes of future benefit, would not endure the ill-treatment of the new prince.

A wise prince, when he has the opportunity, ought with craft to foster some animosity against himself, so that, having crushed it, his renown may rise higher.

For I do not believe that divisions purposely caused can ever lead to good; on the contrary, when an enemy approaches, divided cities are lost at once, for the weaker faction will always side with the invader, and the other will not be able to stand alone.